Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 4251 to 4275 of 4455 results

4251. Paul’s “We-With” Body-Building

2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Tomorrow is the end of the “Year of Paul.” Did you even know we had one? Actually, I confess, this pastor just found out about it. From 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, the Christian church was supposed to celebrate a commemorative year dedicated to St. Paul, partly to mark the approximately 2000th anniversary of the saint’s birth. Pope Benedict XVI, who proclaimed this special jubilee year and invited the Orthodox and Protestants to join in its celebration, hoped that the “Year of Paul” would inspire others ...

4252. All Saints

Psalm 149:1-9, Daniel 7:1-3, 15-28, Luke 6:20-31, Ephesians 1:11-23

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 149 First Lesson—Despite visions of terror the prophet also had dreams of an eternal kingdom for the people of God. Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Second Lesson—The apostle Paul celebrates our inheritance of glory with the royal Jesus. Ephesians 1:11-23 Gospel—Luke records the woes of Jesus declared against the rich as well as blessings for the poor. Luke 6:20-31 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Exult in glory, ...

4253. Christ The King

Psalm 46:1-11, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Luke 1:67-80; 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Luke 1:68-79 or Psalm 46 First Lesson—The prophet declares that the God of Israel will have to gather the scattered flock of people driven away by their irresponsible human shepherds. Jeremiah 23:1-6 Second Lesson—All Christians share in the inheritance of the royal Jesus. Colossians 1:11-20 Gospel—A criminal’s cross is a grotesque enthronement for the King of the Jews. Luke 23:33-43 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. ...

4254. First Sunday after Christmas Day

Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Samuel 2:12-26, Psalm 148:1-14, Luke 2:41-52

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 148 First Lesson—Samuel, the young assistant to the priest, Eli, grows physically, spiritually, and socially. 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Second Lesson—Paul describes the attributes of spiritual maturity to which we should aspire as committed Christians. Colossians 3:12-17 Gospel—Like Hannah’s Samuel, Mary’s Jesus reaches the age of inquiry and decision-making. Luke 2:41-52 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader:The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People:And also with you. Leader:Give ...

4255. Proper 19

Psalm 14:1-7, Jeremiah 4:5-31, Luke 15:1-10, 1 Timothy 1:12-20

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 14 First Lesson—The prophet scolds the nation like naughty children. Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 Second Lesson—Paul describes the grace of God that converted him from a persecutor to a proclaimer of the Good News of Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Gospel—Jesus tells the first of a trilogy of parables that express joy at the recovery of the lost. Luke 15:1-10 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Bring to the ...

4256. A Certain Word in an Uncertain World

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to put two famous quotations side by side and see which one you think is closest to the truth. Here is the first one. "There is no such thing as a sure thing." Now that would probably capture the sentiment of most people around the world as in the year 2004. 9/11 and terrorism around the world has changed everything. Security on New Year's Eve this last year was unprecedented. International flights were cancelled for the first time in the history of airlines over terroristic threats. One train of ...

4257. Decoding the Da Vinci Code (Part Two - Explaining the Facts)

1 Peter 3:15

Sermon

James Merritt

There is a true, but old story about a pastor who went to see a play one time that featured a very famous British actor and the theater was just packed. He noticed that a lot of the people there were members of his church who hardly ever attended church. He happened to meet with this actor the next day and he asked him this question, "How do you draw such large crowds by presenting fiction while I present facts and hardly anyone comes to here me?" The actor, who had been at this man's church before, said " ...

4258. The Man in the Mirror

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

James Merritt

I will never forget the first time I was able to actually go to see the Master's golf tournament in person. I wanted to follow a young phenom by the name of Tiger Woods. I was right behind him on the seventeenth tee box to see him rip one of those majestic drives. In the split second that he hit the ball, one man in the crowd yelled at the top of his lungs - "You 'Da Man." Every time you go to a tournament you are going to hear someone yell that at Tiger Woods. I don't know how that phrase got its origin, ...

4259. It’s Time to Grow Up

Ephesians 4:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

I want you to listen again to two lines in this song. Between who you are and who you could be Between how it is and how it should be If that tension is in your life, I am going to dare you to move. I am going to dare you to move to the next level of spiritual growth in your life – to move from where you are now to where you could be on the road to both spiritual life and spiritual maturity. What I want to say to many of you today is something that we all tell our kids (or one day you will tell your kids) ...

4260. Focus on the Finish

Hebrews 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

It was Mexico City 1968. John Steven Akhwari of Tanzania had started the Olympic marathon with all the other runners hours before, but he finished it alone. When he finally arrived at the stadium there were only a few spectators remaining in the stands. The winner of the marathon had crossed the finish line over an hour earlier. It was getting dark; his right leg was bandaged and heavily bleeding. He was obviously in great pain, but he crossed the finish line suffering from fatigue, leg cramps, dehydration ...

4261. The Fishing Business

Mark 1:16-20

Sermon

James Merritt

How many of you have ever been deep sea fishing? I was shocked to learn that more than 2.4 million people participated in this sport last year, resulting in retail sales of almost $2.4 billion dollars and a total economic impact of almost $4.5 billion dollars. Deep sea fishing provides jobs for nearly 55,000 people. You may be asking what does deep sea fishing have to do with the church? You are going to see over the next four weeks that deep sea fishing is a picture of the deep soul fishing we are to be ...

4262. The “Gratitude Salute”

James 1:19-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Why are you here? Why did you come to church this morning? What made you voluntarily choose to spend the last summer Sunday before the too busy, too crowded Labor Day weekend inside a church? Why aren’t you lolling on some beach? (Okay, okay maybe you will be later this afternoon!) Maybe you are here out of habit. Maybe going to church is “what you do” on Sunday morning. Maybe you are here because your parents dragged you into the car, kicking and screaming, and you would rather be anywhere else. Maybe you ...

4263. People Skills

Proverbs 12:26

Sermon

James Merritt

He was the first billionaire in the history of the world. At one time, the company he started, Standard Oil Company, controlled and marketed ninety-percent of the oil produced in America. We have today, Exxon, Mobil, Amoco and Chevron, because of this man's vision and ingenuity. For the vast majority of his life, he was by far and away, the richest man in the world. Even today, the name Rockefeller is associated with wealth. John D. Rockefeller, who probably never really knew exactly how much he was worth ...

4264. Leaping from Recognition Point

2 Samuel 11:26—12:13a

Sermon

Stan Purdum

There is a small community in north-central Ohio named Clyde. Back in 1919, a man named Sherwood Anderson, who had grown up in Clyde, published a book of short stories called Winesburg, Ohio. But rather than being proud that one of their hometown boys had made good, a lot of the residents resented Anderson. It didn't take them long to figure out that the fictional Winesburg that served as the setting for his stories was a thinly disguised Clyde, and in the foibles and flaws of his characters, several of ...

4265. The Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

This text invites us to listen as John the Baptist tells the people that there is one who is coming to give a greater baptism than he will ever give. Baptism, from the outset in the gospels, becomes very important and moves very quickly to the baptism of Jesus. This seems to set the importance of baptism initially, and the significance is fortified in Acts. However, as important as baptism is, we do not find any instruction for how we are to behave at a baptism, possibly every baptismal occasion tends to ...

4266. History Hangs in the Balance

Luke 23:1-49

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

One would be hard pressed to find a historical event with so many ramifications equal to these words from Saint Luke's Gospel. In fact, for the devout Christian there is no other! It is a moment when the universe seems to come to a standstill and the angels watch in troubled awe. You and I observe from afar, indeed, a great distance. Unless we figuratively or literally read the passage on our knees, we are not apt to catch this sublime, serious moment. Yes, and our appreciation may very well remain at ...

4267. Gratitude: A State of Mind

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

Today's Gospel Reading reminds us once again that Jesus' journey has a destination. He is moving, slowly but surely, toward the holy city. Today we watch and listen as Jesus comes into Bethany, and his journey toward Jerusalem comes ever closer. Geographically, Jesus is probably somewhere between Samaria and Galilee. The miracle that happens here is not in keeping with his other miracles. The miracle has an unusual skew to it. We have learned to expect Jesus to heal someone and for that healing to happen ...

4268. What Price Must We Pay?

Luke 6:20-31

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

Today's Gospel Lesson mirrors the Sermon on the Mount that is found in Matthew 5-7. The sermon is directed at the disciples. It explores some of the things that will be expected of the twelve in the days and years ahead. It delineates the kind of outlook they should have as well as the kind of life Jesus expects them to live. Both Luke and Matthew start out with related materials. They both present us with what we have come to know as the Beatitudes and both end with the parable of the two foundations. The ...

4269. Death to Glory

Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once in a far-off land, there was a great king whose dominion extended far and wide. His power and authority were absolute. One day, as events would happen, a young man, a commoner, committed a grave offense against the king. In response, the king and his counselors gathered together to determine what should be done. They decided that since the offense was so grave and had been committed by a commoner against someone so august as the king, the only punishment that would satisfy justice was death. The king' ...

4270. The Gospel According to the Hebrews

Mark 10:17-31

Illustration

William Barclay

There is an apocryphal gospel called "The Gospel According to the Hebrews" most of which is lost; in one of the fragments which remain there is an account of this incident which sheds a little light on its meaning. Here is how that ancient text records this story: The rich man said to Jesus, "Master, what good thing must I do really to live?" Jesus said to him, "Man, obey the law and the prophets." He said, "I have done so." Jesus said to him, "Go, sell all that you possess, distribute it among the poor, ...

4271. What Church Looks Like

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

There's the story of the man who was lost on a desert island for a decade. When he was finally rescued people were astounded to discover he had built an entire town out of palm branches. There was a movie theater — with no movies, of course — a grocery story with empty shelves, an apartment building, a department store, several houses, and at each end of the little town he had built a church. Why had he done it, he was asked. "To keep sane," he replied. Why two churches? "Well," the man said, "this church ...

4272. What Are You Looking At?

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

One of the most obvious things about the night sky is the moon, especially the full moon. The full moon transforms not only the sky, but the earth, creating a dimmer, second kind of day, casting long shadows, and providing some guidance to those who find themselves outdoors. Certainly, it is one of the things that children first notice about the sky. They can point to the moon, ask what it is, stare at it in wonder. And then, a few days later, the child can wonder - where did it go? The sun, after all, ...

4273. Song Sung Blue

Lamentations 1:1-6

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

Some records are made to be broken — like Olympic speed skating; Cal Ripkin, Jr.'s, most consecutive baseball game appearances; and North Dakota's longest cow chip toss. Other records we'd prefer to let stand — the world's deadliest disaster, or the most active hurricane season, for instance. Years 2004 and 2005 will probably make the books as among the most dramatic in weather history. Hurricanes pounded the southern coast of the USA. Floods and blizzards battered the Midwest. Earthquakes devastated parts ...

4274. On the Preparation Committee

Mark 13:1-8

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

It is understandable that some Christians have grown impatient over the centuries, and have tried to speed things up a bit. I love what someone once said about the return of the Lord. "God did not put me on the Time & Place Committee; He put me on the Preparation Committee." Our job is not to speculate about times and seasons, but to make sure that we are living as God wants us to live - sisters and brothers to one another - here and now. Some folks are "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good."

4275. Room at the Inn

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Narrator Innkeeper Innkeeper’s Wife Angel 1 Mary Angel 2 Joseph Angel 3 Shepherd 1 Innkeeper’s Daughter Shepherd 2 Other Shepherds (nonspeaking) Props Chair Brush Lantern Manger Baby doll Notes With only eleven speaking parts, many of the roles are only a line or two in length, and a very basic set, “Room At The Inn” is a fairly simple play to stage. The set consists of one chair, placed stage left, facing out. A lantern is placed at the end of stage left. (Narrator ...

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